Shopping cart is a software application used by online retailers to allow users to purchase products/services from their website. It is a virtual basket that enables users to select items and add them to their cart for purchase before proceeding to checkout.
The shopping cart holds the items chosen by the user until they are ready to proceed with payment. It is a tool used to facilitate e-commerce transactions, enabling businesses to keep track of the products a customer wants to buy and the total cost of the purchase.
Key Features
- Add/Remove Items: The shopping cart facilitates the addition and removal of items with the user-friendly interface.
- Product Information: The cart provides users with vital information about the product, including product name, description, quantity, and price.
- Total Cost Calculation: The shopping cart will calculate the total cost of all items added by the user.
- Shipping Methods: With shopping carts, a customer can choose or change the shipping method at checkout time.
- Discount Coupons: It may allow the use of discount coupons or promo codes for certain products or entire order.
Benefits of Shopping Carts
- Secure transactions: Shopping carts are secure and reliable, ensuring that transactions are safe for both customers and business owners.
- Time-Saving: Customers can add numerous items to their cart while browsing, thereby saving time and efforts from continuously browsing and selecting items again.
- Reduced cart abandonment: By providing a seamless checkout experience, a shopping cart can reduce the likelihood of cart abandonment.
- Order Tracking: Customers can easily keep track of their orders through the shopping cart interface.
- Reporting Features: Online Store owners can use the shopping cart to gain insights into their sales figures, customer behavior, and stock levels.
Types of Shopping Carts
Hosted Shopping Carts
These are shopping carts that are hosted on the server of the shopping cart provider. Hosted carts tend to be easier to use and set up, as the provider maintains the shopping cart and ensures that it is functional at all times.
Some popular hosted shopping carts include Shopify, BigCommerce, and Volusion.
Licensed Shopping Carts
Licensed shopping carts are self-hosted and installed on the server of the e-commerce website. They offer more customization options and control over the shopping cart software, but users are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the software.
Some popular licensed shopping carts include Magento, WooCommerce, and OpenCart.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a shopping cart is an essential tool for any online business that wants to provide a seamless user experience. With its numerous benefits, from secure transactions to order tracking and reporting features, it is clear that a shopping cart is a vital part of e-commerce operations.